Letter from Founder
My 40th Birthday Blog (April, 2018)
A Letter to Friends and Loved Ones
(Below is a letter that was sent to my nearest and dearest for my 40th birthday, which I'm extending to you readers as well. Feel free to send any birthday pearls of wisdom / life advice to me anytime at trish@teeniors.com.
Friends and family -
I hope this finds you well. You're on my mind because my 40th birthday is tomorrow! It really snuck up on me. I assumed years ago that the plan would include something super cool like an all-girls' vacation or a masquerade party or safari... but no. I'm throwing things together at the last minute after being asked by my family what the heck I want. Finally came to a few ideas:
Also, when we're celebrating someone, we sometimes toast to that person and say the first words that come to mind when we think of them. It's something I hope will become a tradition. Hence the idea for my wish... last year a friend was making a birthday book for her sister and asked us all to write testimonials. It inspired me to start such a project (still unfinished) for my own sister. I loved the idea. One time I saw a Facebook post go around that said "leave a sentence about how you know me in the comments". Reading all of the ways people have an affect on each other, more than they realize, was very cool.
My wish feels similar.
I ask friends and loved ones love to receive a personal 40th birthday message. :)
I recently started this leadership cohort and we had our first class last month. I was SO glad that instead of business lectures and client scenarios, the entire focus was on us as individuals. Our vulnerabilities, what drives us to be who we are, the things we face and don't face in life. It's been wonderful and exactly the way I would have led a leadership training. Many people expressed hard things, a few were crying. It was awesome and real.
The past five years made for some very hard chapters of my life. Tons of LOVE, beauty, and personal growth. And also a lot of hard. In the hardest times, what's always made me feel better were genuine expressions of love and friendship and vulnerability from the people I trust. The people who are ok looking at you in the hard times, rather than looking away. (Like a visit after our daughter was born when we were completely drained and sleep deprived... a message of encouragement or understanding after her dad and I split up.) There were also random notes from people I didn't know: last year a woman in Carlsbad went out of her way to find me on Facebook to tell me about the impact I made on her life years prior, after I'd offered some advice. She asked how to go for her dream of acting after a town hall we did in in southern New Mexico (my previous profession). I barely remember the conversation because these events took place all the time. But she was so moved by what was said, that she went out of her way six years later to find me on Facebook, thank me and tell me all about her life now. It was so beautiful and inspiring.
I realized that we so often have an influence on other people, every day, good and not so good, yet often don't realize the small things that make a huge impact.
One of my dearest friends gave me something so moving recently. A quote about having a light in your life when so many things feel dark. She sent it to me and said "Trish, you have always been this light for me. Thank you, my friend." I was in tears. Good tears. It was so meaningful. And these things are so vulnerable for people to say - so I have a lot of respect for them because most people don't do vulnerable. It lifted my spirits for weeks. Still does.
I then made my birthday wish known to friends and family - a personal note of any kind, no purchased gifts. Just something I could open and read, via email, whatever.
As you know, we always have a ton of people in our corner when we're on top , when we're "successful", when life is awesome. It definitely feels like less in the hard times. So I'm gonna create some kind of book for my 40th -- to get inspired. To look back on it in the good times, and in the hard times, to see messages from people who who've impacted me, or just loved ones I rarely get to see.
Aside from that, would love to see you as well - if not this week, then another time for tea or happy hour.
Teeniors was born out of a desire for more genuine, human connection in our world. That will be my forever wish.
Trish
I hope this finds you well. You're on my mind because my 40th birthday is tomorrow! It really snuck up on me. I assumed years ago that the plan would include something super cool like an all-girls' vacation or a masquerade party or safari... but no. I'm throwing things together at the last minute after being asked by my family what the heck I want. Finally came to a few ideas:
- A family-friendly gathering
- An adults-only night
- A special birthday wish
Also, when we're celebrating someone, we sometimes toast to that person and say the first words that come to mind when we think of them. It's something I hope will become a tradition. Hence the idea for my wish... last year a friend was making a birthday book for her sister and asked us all to write testimonials. It inspired me to start such a project (still unfinished) for my own sister. I loved the idea. One time I saw a Facebook post go around that said "leave a sentence about how you know me in the comments". Reading all of the ways people have an affect on each other, more than they realize, was very cool.
My wish feels similar.
I ask friends and loved ones love to receive a personal 40th birthday message. :)
I recently started this leadership cohort and we had our first class last month. I was SO glad that instead of business lectures and client scenarios, the entire focus was on us as individuals. Our vulnerabilities, what drives us to be who we are, the things we face and don't face in life. It's been wonderful and exactly the way I would have led a leadership training. Many people expressed hard things, a few were crying. It was awesome and real.
The past five years made for some very hard chapters of my life. Tons of LOVE, beauty, and personal growth. And also a lot of hard. In the hardest times, what's always made me feel better were genuine expressions of love and friendship and vulnerability from the people I trust. The people who are ok looking at you in the hard times, rather than looking away. (Like a visit after our daughter was born when we were completely drained and sleep deprived... a message of encouragement or understanding after her dad and I split up.) There were also random notes from people I didn't know: last year a woman in Carlsbad went out of her way to find me on Facebook to tell me about the impact I made on her life years prior, after I'd offered some advice. She asked how to go for her dream of acting after a town hall we did in in southern New Mexico (my previous profession). I barely remember the conversation because these events took place all the time. But she was so moved by what was said, that she went out of her way six years later to find me on Facebook, thank me and tell me all about her life now. It was so beautiful and inspiring.
I realized that we so often have an influence on other people, every day, good and not so good, yet often don't realize the small things that make a huge impact.
One of my dearest friends gave me something so moving recently. A quote about having a light in your life when so many things feel dark. She sent it to me and said "Trish, you have always been this light for me. Thank you, my friend." I was in tears. Good tears. It was so meaningful. And these things are so vulnerable for people to say - so I have a lot of respect for them because most people don't do vulnerable. It lifted my spirits for weeks. Still does.
I then made my birthday wish known to friends and family - a personal note of any kind, no purchased gifts. Just something I could open and read, via email, whatever.
As you know, we always have a ton of people in our corner when we're on top , when we're "successful", when life is awesome. It definitely feels like less in the hard times. So I'm gonna create some kind of book for my 40th -- to get inspired. To look back on it in the good times, and in the hard times, to see messages from people who who've impacted me, or just loved ones I rarely get to see.
Aside from that, would love to see you as well - if not this week, then another time for tea or happy hour.
Teeniors was born out of a desire for more genuine, human connection in our world. That will be my forever wish.
Trish